If there’s a good thing about getting smacked around in Spring Training, it’s that expectations are set at a healthy level for the game of baseball. The sport is a marathon and even the best seasons leave you tired, bored, frustrated, and angry at some point during the six month journey. There’s a certain beauty to experiencing those emotions in spring before things matter.
Remember when the A’s acquired Kendall Graveman in a trade where there were definitely no other players of note were involved? We were sad due to the player not of note departing, and a lot of loyal fans questioned their fanhood.